Millions of pounds of food are wasted every year in the United States and millions of people go without meals. Bridging that gap has been challenging, but now there are solutions using technology to help solve this problem. Our guest today is at the forefront of this movement to end hunger. 

 

Jasmine Crowe is the CEO and Founder of Goodr, and she’s working specifically on this food waste problem. Goodr’s mission is to feed more and waste less using their technology platform that connects those with excess food to the people who need it most. In this episode, Jasmine talks in depth about how Goodr started and the challenges she’s faced growing the company. 

 

Founder Bio

 

Jasmine Crowe is an award-winning social entrepreneur, children’s book author, TED Speaker, and leader who is working to make the world a better place one cause at a time. Jasmine’s goal is to foster change and create awareness about the leading socioeconomic issues of today, including climate change, food waste, and hunger.  In 2017, after years of feeding people experiencing homelessness from her own kitchen, Jasmine launched Goodr, a sustainable waste management company that leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. She has been featured on CNBC, Oprah Magazine, Inc., Forbes, Fast Co., NY Times, and named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 influential female founders.

 

Under Jasmine’s leadership, Goodr has redirected over 20 million pounds of surplus food from event centers, airports, and businesses to people that are food insecure. Goodr has also launched a grocery delivery program that provides free weekly groceries to thousands of senior citizens and students. Most recently, the company implemented its first no-cost, grocery store for a Title 1 school. Goodr clients include Turner Broadcasting, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Capital One, Six Flags Over Georgia, and many more.

Timestamps

 

03:26 - How Jasmine’s consultancy led to starting Goodr 

 

06:59 - The tax benefits companies receive from using Goodr’s platform 

 

7:37 - The challenges of being a solo founder and how Jasmine built her team

 

11:00 - Dealing with potential investors’ concerns if you don’t have a team 

 

14:30 - How Jasmine utilized advice for mentors early on to help grow her team

 

17:48 - The importance of delegating to the team to be able to actively raise money

 

20:00 - How Goodr used technology to solve the waste management problem by making the ecosystem more efficient

 

21:26 - The way Goodr manages the relationships with each stakeholder

 

24:26 - How Goodr’s platform makes it easy for drivers to pick up and deliver the food 

 

25:44 - How Goodr gained traction in her early days

 

28:13 - Using a customer acquisition strategy that includes direct outreach, partnerships, referrals and more

 

30:00 - Jasmine explains the fundraising journey for Goodr and the type of investors that are a best fit

 

32:10 How to get in contact with the Goodr team

Resources

 

Company website: https://goodr.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodrco/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodrCo/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegoodrco